S.I. No. 328/1983:

HALLMARKING (IRISH STANDARDS OF FINENESS) REGULATIONS, 1983.

HALLMARKING (IRISH STANDARDS OF FINENESS) REGULATIONS, 1983.

I, FRANK CLUSKEY, Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 7 of the Hallmarking Act, 1981 (No. 18 of 1981), and the Industry, Commerce and Tourism (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1981 ( S.I. No. 290 of 1981 ), and after consultation with the Company referred to in the said section 7, hereby make the following Regulations:--

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Hallmarking (Irish Standards of Fineness) Regulations, 1983, and shall come into operation on the 8th day of November, 1983.

2. In addition to the standards of fineness of gold referred to in the Charter, in section 22 of the Plate Assay Act, 1783, and in section 3 of the Plate Assay (Ireland) Act, 1807, the following standards of fineness are hereby prescribed for articles of precious metal consisting of or containing gold and comprising gold vessel, gold plate or manufacture of gold:

( a ) the standard (which shall be known, and is referred to in these Regulations, as "the standard of 14 carats") of 585 parts of fine gold in every 1,000 parts by weight in the article, and

( b ) the standard (which shall be known, and is referred to in these Regulations, as "the standard of 9 carats") of 375 parts of fine gold in every 1,000 parts by weight in the article.

3. The following standard of fineness is hereby prescribed for articles of precious metal consisting of or containing platinum and comprising an article or manufacture of platinum:

the standard of 950 parts of platinum in every 1,000 parts by weight of the article or manufacture.

4. The following standards of fineness are hereby prescribed for the solder of articles of precious metal:

( a ) Gold -- the same standard of fineness as that prescribed for the article, subject to the following exceptions:--

(i) in the case of gold articles of the standard of 22 carats (916.6 parts per thousand parts) or of the standard of 20 carats (833 parts per thousand parts), the solder shall be of a fineness of not less than 750 parts per 1,000 parts;

(ii) in the case of gold articles of filigree work and watch cases of the standard of 18 carats (750 parts per thousand parts), the solder shall be of a fineness of not less than 740 parts per 1,000 parts;

(iii) in the case of articles of white gold of the standard of 18 carats (750 parts per thousand parts), the solder shall be of a fineness of not less than 585 parts per 1,000 parts;

( b ) Silver-- not less than 650 parts per 1,000 parts;

( c ) Platinum-- not less than 995 parts per 1,000 parts of gold, silver, platinum or palladium.

5. Notwithstanding Regulation 4 of these Regulations, solder below the appropriate prescribed standard of fineness of the article may be used for the purpose of joining, and shall not be used for strengthening, weighting or filling.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 1st day of November, 1983.

FRANK CLUSKEY,

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The purpose of these Regulations is to affirm that, following the accession by the State to the Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals, 1972, articles of gold will continue to be made to standards of 14 and 9 carats; to prescribe, for the first time, a standard of fineness for platinum; and to prescribe standards of solder for gold, silver and platinum.